The Question: Should young children, 14 years old and under, who commit crimes ever be charged as adults?
My 2 Cents: The idea of trying children as adults has never appealed to me. It’s like we’ve given up on them before they’ve even gotten started. I understand that it’s done to keep children from being released once they become adults, but I still have my reservations about the process.
Young children, 14 years olds and under, who commit crimes should be charged as adults if every avenue indicates that there is absolutely no way whatsoever that the child can be rehabilitated. The process to determine that the child cannot be rehabilitated should be thorough and extensive. There should be no rush to judgment about a child’s rehabilitative capabilities.
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Take a few moments to check out the tweets from Twitter on this subject:
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PROTECTED TWEETER I think if they commit crimes such as murder then yes.If a 13yo kills somebody I loved I would hope that they get the max sent.
Ugogurl There are times when age should not be the factor, so yes, they should be! Intent, motive is key!
XPhile2 I agree with Soror. Depends on the kid, the crime and the circumstances. Blanket rules shouldn’t be applied in those cases.
PROTECTED TWEETER Depends on nature of the crime. For things such as murder, gang-related, etc. – Yes. Act like an adult & get punished like one!
TankaBar_JasonD If it is sever they should keep them locked up till 18 then give them a retrial about
walkerdl Yes
BLKMGK Yes, kids who commit crimes like murder and rape should be tried as adults.
_DCKEV_ Depends on the Crime
Henderson9000 yes they should, depending on the crime
jreneker Probably not. I can’t recall the last time that happened but I’m sure it has.
LadyJay91 Yes they should be tried as adults.
Write_Of_Fusion That’s tough to say. Depends on the brutality of the crime, if it was pre-meditated,whether they were mentally ill at the time.
DerekIsNormal Absolutely! That way they can learn, at an early age, the severity of the crimes they commit.
Pettra88 Yes…as well as the adults in charge of them
NightShade10 No! I am a different person from age 14, and I was not who I am today in the least. This is more a psychological issue for kids
DiamondEmory No. No matter the crime, they R still children. They lack mental capacity to rationalize & understand consequences & actions.
MissMeandI I think severity of the crime & child’s state of mind @ the time are huge factors (such as was “just” mad or “crazy” mad)
PROTECTED TWEETER Yes if it’s determined that they will not be rehabilitated by age 18 because they would be released to possibly do it again.
PROTECTED TWEETER i think it depends on the nature of the crime & the mindset of the youth-perp
Hadji4ever No they shouldn’t be charged as adults. I actually work in the unit at my firm that represents juveniles charged as adults.
Teddywill That’s a touchy issue. I think some kids are well aware of the crimes they commit, but don’t understand accountability.
CharTheArtist so hard 2 say, given the nature of the crime & child’s background
ciciwryter open ended punishment, yes but no adult charges for minors.
Josephine_Seven Yes. In some cases, they should be.
mayqueen79 Depends on the crime- kids can be sociopaths, just like adults. And sociopaths aren’t gonna change as they age, just get worse.
PROTECTED TWEETER no. Their brains aren’t fully devloped yet and they aren’t able to think as logically as an adult.
blacknthick I have to say yes because at that age you know right from wring and you througth you was grown when you did the crime.
JoshDamage depends on a variety of factors, such as criminal history and severity of the crime. each case is different.
md20737 NO
tclarkusa YES! Several fam members work w/ troubled youth. Some ppl are evil & we never know when evil will manifest itself.
atane It depends on the severity of the crime, & the circumstances in which they were committed.
ObiOrion yes,if the crime is serious (felony+) and if the person is a repeat offender.
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